Steve J.

Way to go Doc! I look forward to seeing you at some of the DFW shark get-togethers. You can borrow my tb tension tool anytime. Remember - When you buy a 928, that's the down payment!

karl ruiter

Really it comes down to a philosophical question...Is it the condition of the item of the quality of the item that's more important to you. Personally, I would rather have a basket case 928 than a brand new Honda. Lots of Porsche owners pursue perfection, but to me perfection is not a sustainable state anyhow. So it is moving a car in direction of perfection that I enjoy. Where better to start that process than at the bottom? And when you are done (for the moment) you can look at your beautiful Porsche and say "I made that". Go for it Doc.

docmirror

It's okay, just keep telling yourself "I didn't loose out, I didn't loose out". You'll get to sleep in a few days. As for those interested in the true value, I've got a bet for you. I can throw and Earl Shieb $599 paint job on it, have Jose and JoseB fix the driver's seat, for $200 and ebay it for over $18k.

Am I gonna do that? No! I am a collector of vintage autos, not ricer, redneck, rat bastard, or jerk. I'm just saying I COULD do that. The status of the car today is; running fairly well, I"ve had it up to about 110 on the G Bush TP, felt solid. All lights and wipers, gauges, AC heat, seat adjustment, sunroof, mirrors work. The pass side window only goes up with the key lock feature, so the switch or wiring is hokey. The tire pressure sensor is going weird, and the low oil warning keeps coming on.

That's an overview. Not an exhaustive list of needed things. The smog pump is froze, no belt, and there are two small stars in the windscreen that may be able to be fixed, but may require replacement. I will probably wait on the glass until ready for paint (NOT Earl...). The compresssion checks out good, and although the mileage is somewhat high, it's not off the charts for a 1990. Heck I have a Ferrari with 95k on it!

I don't mind some sniping. Who knows the tranny could blow tomorrow. Then I would have to part it out for only about $12k. I've had an offer online for the complete running engine for $4500. Guess they're kinda rare or something------

low miler

Okay, if restoration is your sole interest here with absolutely NO regard for any kind of compensation for all the work you've done when you decide to resale, then this sounds like a great example! You will be getting far less than you could ever imagine whenever you decide to sell. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic when I said I feel for you...............I really do! I would have passed on this one, even if I was looking for something to tinker around with.

I spent an entire year of my life trying to make a car just like this into something acceptable. It wore me out and broke me, too. If this is nothing more than a project, and you've got plenty of money to burn, then have at it! It sounds like a wonderful car for that.

But with a repainted car, as we all know is a no-no, then that incurs a problem. Secondly, unless your interior guy is a former 928 factory interior specialist from Stuttgart, your going to run into poblems there also.

Mechanical demons are your third and final chapter in this pleasurable hobby of restoration. As with most 928's, once you've found one problem, there are usually three more hidden behind it!

There are alot of 928's out there, especially GT's, that can be bought for less than 10K out there, with less miles and less work needed. $6250 sounds good now, but talk to us in a year or two!

And no, you don't want to take that bet of yours with someone like me! An Earl Sheib paint job and a Jose/Jose B interior job will bring you $5000 on Ebay, not $18,000!

Man, I'm really not trying to be so down on you. I just wish you hadn't of bought it. I really do think your getting in over your head here. Please prove me wrong! I would love nothing more than to see you pull this off.

It's just that I've owned more than 30 of these cars and know enough to know that I'm scared for ya'! But, good luck though.

MikeN

Doc,

Looking back at all the posts including mine I don't see any perceived "sniping".
Just some people ( including myself ) with a valid opinion on what the car would be worth to them, others may have a different one......good for them.
I hope the restoration goes well and look forward to seeing the car sometime in the future. Me, I will be sleeping very well tonight, but thank you for the concern!

Gretch

Man, I gotta say lowmiler, your rant sounds like sour grapes more than it sounds like well considered opinion. For not knowing the car or the guy who bought it, you sound way over the top with your doom and gloom.

What exactly is the point of pissing on the new owner's enthusiasum?

95% of your total activity here has been to try and enrich yourself by "horse trading" 928 cars. To me, irrespective of how many cars have passed through your hands, that activity alone does not give you much credibility to pontificate on the way someone else chooses to spend their money. If you had sold the car, I strongly suspect you would be much less vocal about its attributes.

low miler

Gretch,

Your right. Doc, congratulations, and I wish you the best!

Jim bailey - 928 International

As I pointed out to Doc previously in a private e-mail the car is worth far more than he paid for it as a parts car.....far more . We have had numerous examples on this forum of people who tear apart reasonably nice cars to make them nicer, better, faster . Perhaps it makes sense to start with one that is somewhat less nice and NOT DESTROY value . One point I have tried to make in the past is there is NO 928 MARKET , NO MARKET VALUE, NO REAL BOOK , the EXCELLENCE "report" meaningless . The 928 resale market is very , very inefficient why ? first no two used cars are the same (not fungible) Would you be willing to trade your 928 for someone else's sight unseen ? , second imperfect knowledge both buyer and seller , third transactions occur all over the country (no central market) , fourth too few sales no volume , in short very inefficient . Proof of the inefficiency ! Low Miler's history of buying and selling ...not that there is anything wrong with that . Besides I plan on becoming Doc's new best friend ............Jim just another parts *****

Gretch

Jim, ***** you may be..........I dunno about that (I am in business for the purpose of feeding my family, also).......but I will attest that you (and your company) actually ADD VALUE, in a way I CAN appreciate.

To each his own. I am interested in Whole sharks, actually running around, looking good, and making their owners happy. The 928 is eye candy to me, and music to my ears. It is much more than a pile of parts or a set of numbers in a blue book.

I once took posession of a pile of rust that was an irritating eyesore to its prior owner and neighbors and spent money and time on it over a several year period. It was a 49 chevy 3100 five window cab. It served me well, became a good friend and provided me with many, many hours of peace and enjoyment. That is how I look at cars I fall in love with. People frustrate and irritate me.........cars don't.

Prolly should'nt have gone off at you lowmiler.............opinion still stands though.

Richard S

Doc got the most awesome deal on a potential track car. That's why I hate him....in a good way! Sorta like when your brother gets the good christmas present. Anyway, for that price, to me it would make more sense to turn it into a track car than to restore it. Sell some un-needed parts, etc. Doc may not be into racing, so to him the restoration may be the most enjoyable endeavor. Best of luck Doc!!

Rich.

SteveG

Doc: Always glad to welcome someone who knows what they are getting into and then does it (saves a shark). LM is a known bi-polar, 30 cars, can't maintain a relationship. Good luck.

docmirror

Well, I was off a thousand or so on the bet. I apologize unreservedly. It's interesting to see all the run of opinions. It's nice to see that others understand efficient market theory. Most classics and probably the 928, do fall into a strange market niche. Values swing wildly sometimes(remember the Jag XKE debacle) and predicting them is very hard, even for Christys, and they're pros!

As for my backyard ability, it has a 37 Cord Beverly, 63 supercharged Avanti, 70 Lamborghini Espada, and the Matra and Mondial. I work on all of them. Two are plastic, and two are a mix of steel and aluminum. There are lots of cams, carbs, switches, sensors, dials, and framus's. Yes the 928 has some peculiarities, but that's what makes it fun. If I do this right, I'll have a nice car to turn over to my son in 3 years. Then he can thrash it! (kidding).

Now for my first question. Option code 691 reports as; CD=Player "CD-2" with Radio. I currently have an aftermarket Sony installed and it ain't sounding very good. I will likely need to redo the speakers, but my question, is this a Blaupunkt? I don't want to assume. next, will there be any trouble switching to another Blaupunkt if I can't source the original? 1990GT 5 speed.

Thanks,

Jim bailey - 928 International

If what you want is a good sounding radio simply buy new aftermarket and put in new after market speakers (in the old housings). If you need it to look original the "PORSCHE" radio (Alpine made) was a $300 unit they sold for like $1,500 or so ...... question becomes do you want a good radio at a reasonable price or one which says PORSCHE on the face . Much has been written about radios/amplifiers/speakers . The aftermarket units will not plug and play with the Porsche amplifier located next to the passenger seat . All the speaker leads are next to the seat .

ROG100

Hi Doc,
My car was fitted with the CR-1 (cassette radio hooked to a CD changer in the rear). I had problems with this unit including a second one I bought.
The 94 GTS had an option for the Alpine 7807 (CD player plus CD shuttle controller) unit which is one of the best units they made at the time. This is a Porsche part and costs as Jim says about $1800. I know where you can get one for maybe $300 ( brand new in the Porsche box) if he has any left.
I have two of the CR-1 which you would be welcome to use one as a core excahnge for a replacement form Porsche for about $300. You may be able to get the CD-2. Worth a try.
Anyway I have all the detail if you want the Alpine 7807 which is a great unit and works with the factory system perfectly.
Best,
Roger